


Always Goodbye

by rubychan05



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Developing Relationship, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-08-26
Updated: 2007-08-26
Packaged: 2018-03-08 00:36:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3189206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubychan05/pseuds/rubychan05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Centuries of change bring a brand new relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always Goodbye

“I really don’t mind though. Come with me.”

_"You don’t feel so Wrong to me now. And I guess you earned it during this past year.”_

“I had plenty of time to think that past year. The year that never was. And I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like you said Doctor, responsibility.”

_“I can tell you don’t really want me travelling with you again. But my team don’t care that I can never die – they’re not so prejudiced. You don’t have to feel responsible for me.”_

 “Defending the Earth. Can’t argue with that.”

_I won’t get in your way. Not unless you step out of line.”_

 “Hey, I need that!”

  _“Are you condemning me to the slow path again, Doctor?”_

 “Can’t have you walking around with a time travelling teleport. You could go anywhere. Twice! Second time to apologise.”

_“No travelling with me, no time travel for you at all. I don’t trust you not to muck up the timeline.”_

* * *

Perhaps if the Doctor had known Martha was going to leave him as well, he would have tried harder to convince Jack to come travelling with him again. After all, he’d managed to ignore Mickey’s whining for quite some time when the Londoner began travelling with him and Rose. Surely ignoring how Wrong Jack felt would have been a piece of cake compared to that.

Muttering, the Doctor thumped the TARDIS console grumpily. That god-awful mess with the Wirrn somehow ending up on the _QE2_ had all been sorted out, and now he was finally free to go on travelling.

 Except that he didn’t know where he wanted to go.

It had been so long since he’d travelled alone, he’d almost forgotten how it felt to not be showing a friend round the galaxy. Rocketing straight out of the Time War practically into the arms of the Daniels family, he’d actually settled down and ‘done domestic’ for a time, getting his head back together. Afterwards, it had only been a few months until he met Rose. Then Jack. And later there’d been Mickey.

After they’d all gone, there’d been Donna. A few more weeks of moping about, and his investigation into the hospital had brought him Martha.

But now there was no one, and however much he eyeballed the TARDIS’ warning alarm there was no telltale buzzing or flashing lights, no emergency he had to rush off to care of. The whole of Time and Space was out there, ready for him to take his pickings, but he didn’t have anywhere particular in mind. Everywhere had the potential to be exciting. Everywhere had the potential to be boring.

There were no special trips to planets or time periods he just had to show his companions. Just a blank page waiting to be written on.

 Pressing another button much more gently this time, the Doctor sighed and leaned against the console, looking desolately up at the central tower.

 “You decide, old girl. Take me somewhere you know I’d like to be.”

The TARDIS hummed in response,and the Doctor smiled fondly as he felt the ship begin to vibrate around him as the TARDIS changed course. Of course she would know where he wanted to go – after all these years, the TARDIS knew him better than he knew himself. He thought that the journey seemed unusually smooth this time too…there wasn’t any need to hold onto something for dear life this time.

He dared to hope that that was because this time it was somewhere he truly wanted to go. With all his hearts.

* * *

As the TARDIS came to a gentle stop and the Doctor checked the console, he blinked and checked it again.

And then a third time.

“21st century Cardiff?” He exclaimed incredulously, glaring at the TARDIS’ central control console. “Of all the places and times in the entire universe you take me back to a place I’ve practically just left?”

The TARDIS warbled at him and the Doctor gritted his teeth, running a hand through his hair in vague annoyance.

“Brilliant. Not just 21st century Cardiff, 21st century Cardiff three days after I left Jack here. Exactly why would I want to come back here? Go on, tell me that.”

But the TARDIS remained silent. Gritting his teeth, the Doctor threw on his coat and flung open the doors, only to stop and stare as he realised he was looking right at Jack himself. Glancing around at the office they were in and briefly wondering whether the general untidiness was down to Jack or the TARDIS’ landing, the Doctor let out a small chuckle.

“Your Torchwood office, am I right?” At Jack’s bemused nod, he shook his head. “I think I’m beginning to understand why she brought me here.”

Jack crossed his arms, leaning back casually against his desk in a way that eerily reminded the Doctor of how he himself leaned against the TARDIS console.

“Not that it isn’t great to see you again Doctor, but do you mind me asking if this is a social call or work? Because I’m telling you now, we haven’t had time to get involved in anything you might disagree with…not unless Toshiko has been working on anything in secret.”

Jack’s voice was guarded and the Doctor winced slightly. Their goodbye had been so full of very different meanings beneath the surface; it was no wonder Jack was being cautious. Not to mention the Doctor’s very vocal dislike of the fact that he was working for Torchwood. He could easily see why Jack seemed a bit off with him.

“Oh, social visit, of course. Thought I’d pop in and see how you were doing.” The Doctor said brightly. Jack instantly relaxed, the tension in him suddenly disappearing as though it had never been there in the first place.

“I’m doing rather well actually. I was just going over some of our old records and refiling them.” He paused, looking at the paper-strewn mess around him with a vaguely put out expression. “Not that it looks like time well spent, now.”

“Ah. Right. Sorry about that. Need any help tidying up?” The Doctor instantly got down on his knees and began to guiltily gather pieces of paper into piles, hoping they were close enough to the right ones. Jack snorted, kneeling down opposite him.

“If you do it like that, Ianto’s going to have a fit next time he checks the filing cabinets. Plus I’m going to be wondering why I’m reading an in-depth explanation of flesh-eating slugs next time I want to read up on Weevils.” He laughed, gently pulling at the paper the Doctor was holding and indicating for him to put it down.

“Well what do you suggest then?” The Doctor muttered, gazing at the mess around them in defeat. Jack shrugged, a wry smile hovering about his lips.

“We arrange everything in order of when it was dated, then try to piece individual files back together. Not much else we can do really. Although I don’t know why I’m tidying up, this is all your fault – who parks their spaceship in someone’s office?”

Ignoring the Doctor’s sheepish look, Jack cast another doubtful gaze around his office.

“And on top of that, an office where there’s barely enough room for said spaceship anyway. If I hadn’t moved my desk against the wall to make room for all of this, you’d probably have squashed it flat. And that desk is practically an antique.”

“In my defence, the TARDIS did the flying this time. I just asked her to take me somewhere I’d like to go.” The Doctor protested, beginning to arrange the papers on the floor just like Jack was doing.  Jack raised an eyebrow, affecting a Southern belle pose.

“And she took you all the way here just to see li’l old me? Why I do declare, I ain’t never felt so honoured in all mah life.” He drawled. The Doctor snickered.

“Just promise me one thing, Jack Harkness…never take up acting. The stage community would never recover from the horror of it all.” He grinned. He was glad the TARDIS had brought him here now…he might never have seen Jack again otherwise. Or it would have been centuries later, when separation had made Jack bitter once more. With all of the trouble after meeting up with Jack again, the Doctor hadn’t had a chance to just sit and talk with the other man.

He’d forgotten just how much fun it was to be around Jack.

The man had a certain energy about him, a charisma that never failed to charm. And the Doctor had always enjoyed the time he spent with his fellow time traveller…between Jack’s impossible stories and his strange habit of getting quiet and philosophical when it was just him and the Doctor, there was a Jack to suit whatever mood you were in. Flippant or serious. Immature or worldly wise.

Although of course, the Doctor’s favourite mood to be in whilst talking to Jack was…

Jack held up a hand and reached into the desk of his drawer, pulling out a large bottle of whiskey and a small key. Handing the whiskey to the Doctor, he managed to navigate the death trap his office had become and inserted the key into a small hole in the wall, grinning as he swung open the door to a secret cupboard to reveal various intergalactic alcohols.

Beaming, the Doctor nodded his approval to Jack. The man must be a mind reader.

* * *

Five hours later, the papers had all been arranged into the right piles and pushed carefully to the side. This in itself was a miracle, seeing as both Jack and the Doctor had been well past tipsy by three quarters of the way through. Now, sitting on the floor and leaning back against Jack’s desk, the pair were talking quietly with each other, in that drunken state when everything just gets that little bit serious and melancholy.

Jack was halfway through his musings on how the universe was probably shaped more like a banana, even if it was impossible to prove, when the Doctor interrupted him.

“I never said sorry to you, did I?” He asked softly. Jack blinked at the question, although that may have been because it was quite hard to focus by now.

“Sorry? What for?”

The Doctor let out a bitter chuckle. Only Jack could get immortalised, abandoned and tortured in order to try and break the Doctor, and still not seem to expect an apology. Most of his other companions would be spiting tacks by now. If they could even stand to be near him at all.

“For abandoning you without even explaining what had happened to you. For letting the Master have his way with you.”

“I admit, I was a little angry about the first thing, but what could you do to stop the Master? You were an old man. And I got over the leaving me behind thing in the end.” Jack smiled, stretching.

“But…”

“Look, it’s hard to stay mad at the subject of your jerk-off fantasies. A hundred years imagining someone naked and you get a little more laid back about silly things like that.” Jack chuckled, attempting to tap his nose knowledgeably and missing it by miles.

The Doctor stared at him, stunned for a moment. Then he broke into a wide grin and caught Jack off guard by leaning in and planting a soft kiss on his lips. It wasn’t that good a kiss; the Doctor’s aim had been slightly off, and he’d only got half of Jack’s lips. But Jack still rubbed a finger slowly across his mouth, gazing uncertainly at the Doctor.

“What…”

“Can’t I kiss a companion of mine? I was just repaying the favour…couple of centuries too late, I’ll admit. Or a few hundred too early. However you want to look at it.” The Doctor beamed.

He jumped as Jack slipped a hand round the back of his neck and pulled him into a deeper, much better aimed kiss. But then he allowed himself to melt into it, pulling away panting when they finally broke for air. Jumping to his feet, he offered his hand to Jack, confusing the man who had looked so disappointed when the Doctor got up.

“Well? Don’t you want to see me naked for real?” The Doctor laughed, and Jack hurriedly pushed himself up. Laughing into each other’s mouths the pair practically fell down the ladder into Jack’s bedroom, and within mere moments the room’s floor was as strewn with clothes as the office had been strewn with paper.

By the time Jack woke up, the Doctor was long gone, beating his head against the console and wondering why on earth he’d let something like that happen.

* * *

The second time the Doctor saw Jack again was a cold December morning, 2012. For once it was actually snowing and all around Cardiff people were calling it a miracle as they exchanged Christmas presents. The Doctor had been aiming the TARDIS for the Powell Estate 1989, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rose growing up, but landing in the cemetery he found a very different companion instead.

Jack didn’t speak when the Doctor walked across to stand behind him, even though he had to have heard the Doctor’s footsteps on the gravel path. The Doctor wondered what Jack was actually doing here on Christmas Day, but understood the moment he saw the name on the gravestone and the small signs stuck into the ground, telling the world whose ashes had been spread here.

“Oh Jack…” He whispered, and Jack clutched at the hand he’d placed on the other man’s shoulder like it was a lifeline, silent tears streaming down his face. They stayed like that for several minutes, until the tears stopped and Jack let go of the Doctor’s hand reluctantly.

“I lost Ianto about a year after you came to visit me.” Jack finally said, his eyes trained on the neatly engraved headstone. “He didn’t even die because of an alien or a piece of dangerous technology. He was hit by a car. A car. A stupid, near obsolete car driven by an idiot human driver who was drunk at the wheel. 70 miles an hour down Havannah Street. Ianto never stood a chance.”

The Doctor remained silent, unsure what to say after that bitter explanation. What could you say to a man who dealt with violence and alien activity every day only to lose a member of his team to a drunken yob?

“We didn’t recruit anyone else. Didn’t ever feel quite right. So we got used to making the coffee and doing the filing ourselves,and moved on as best we could. And then we moved to new headquarters a few months back. Lovely office block, above ground and overlooking the bay.

“Hadn’t been in there two weeks before a piece of technology we’d salvaged from the Rift exploded. Set the whole building on fire. Me and Owen got out, but the girls were trapped. We went back in…moved the wreckage blocking the doorway to the main hub and freed them. I was helping Gwen out when Tosh fell. Owen went back for her, said he wouldn’t leave her…and the whole thing collapsed on top of them just as me and Gwen got out.

“She died of smoke inhalation and burns in the hospital that same night. 24 hours. Less than 24 hours, and I lost my entire three man team to a fire that wouldn’t have spread that fast had the building been properly inspected as the landlord promised.”

Jack finally turned to face the Doctor, face full of anguish and hopelessness.

“Why, Doctor? You spend years protecting Earth from aliens, but all the time the real threat is here. It’s the human race that are the real monsters, but nobody realises until it’s too late! I lost all of them to the people we were trying to protect and I’m sick of it! Is this what Earth is, Doctor? Is this all that people from this century will ever be? Or is it like this in my century too, and I was just too blind to see…”

Turning Jack around and pulling him into a tight embrace, the Doctor held him close, rocking him and whispering soothing nonsense words in his ear, promising him it would all be ok. And suddenly they were kissing again, Jack’s mouth desperate and needy against his, and the Doctor kissed back despite the taste of tears, knowing that this was what Jack needed right now.

Yet Jack still woke up alone in the hotel room’s bed, with only a note left on his pillow to tell him goodbye.

* * *

The Doctor and Jack kept crashing into each other throughout the years. At least, years for Jack. Centuries, even. From the Doctor’s point of view they had all happened over a period of only eight months. He was beginning to suspect that the TARDIS was landing in places where Jack would be on purpose.

They never met in Cardiff again after that Christmas Day. Jack had had enough of Torchwood, stayed just long enough to train up a new team to watch over the Rift and left early one morning without saying goodbye. Instead, he started travelling round the world, continuously moving from town to town and switching countries every hundred years or so.

The longest period they were apart was 167 years in Jack’s point of view, but only a few days for the Doctor. He’d found Jack in 30th century Stockholm and the other man hadn’t said one word. Had just drawn the Doctor into a tight embrace and breathed in his scent, before leading him to his apartment and then into his bedroom.

Every time they found each other, they wound up in bed together. It became the expected thing for them to do, and the Doctor had stopped worrying about it after the sixth time, when he reasoned that if it was just going to keep happening then there was no point getting worked up about it.

Sometimes they fell into the nearest bed as soon as they met up. Sometimes they went for a drink first, or just had a simple chat about the good old days. 

But two things never changed. The first, that they never did it in the TARDIS; Jack hadn’t stepped foot inside it since just after the year-that-never-was, and probably never would. Jack had never asked, possibly already guessing the Time Lord’s response, and the Doctor hadn’t ever felt the need to offer.

The second thing was that wherever and whenever they were, when Jack woke up the Doctor would always be gone. If he was lucky, he’d get a note on the pillow, perhaps a few coins if they were renting a room somewhere. But most of the time Jack just woke up to an empty room, in a bed with wrinkled sheets that needed badly washing.

Yet he said nothing. They hadn’t ever talked about the sleeping together thing, had made it an unspoken agreement not to mention it. The mood would just change and that would be that – they’d be off to find a bed somewhere.

The Doctor knew why he did it: he was lonely, plain and simple, and Jack was the one person he could share that loneliness with. Without having to explain himself to a complete stranger, that was. As for Jack…he wasn’t sure, but he could guess. He’d always known the other man wanted him, perhaps even loved him in his own way. And Jack was lonely too…cursed to never be able to stay too long in any one place lest someone noticed how he never seemed to look any older. To never have a relationship with anyone because compared to his their lives were so fleeting.

It was odd, but even separated by Time and Space, never together for more than a day at most, the Doctor had never felt closer to Jack. He supposed it was because before the final battle of Satellite Five Rose had been there most of the time, acting as a sort of buffer between them. They’d never really had much time to themselves before.

Sometimes the Doctor felt guilty as he left Jack sleeping yet again. The feeling increased with each meeting and to compensate the Doctor had found himself suggesting classier and classier hotels each time, as though the fact they were having one night stands in the universal equivalent of the Ritz made the whole thing any more tasteful than when they were doing it in poky little box rooms in cheap motels.

It made the Doctor feel a bit better about what he was doing. But not much.

* * *

Everything changed in the 79th century. Jack had lived through his own century in hiding, afraid that the Time Agents would cotton on at one point and drag him in for questioning. Afraid of meeting himself and causing some sort of paradox.

When the Doctor found him, he was in Athens. Sitting on the steps of the ruined Parthenon, staring up at stars. After nearly 6000 years, he looked exactly the same as he had when the pair met again in the year 100 trillion. Only the eyes gave him away; eyes that had seen far too much in their lifetime. Eyes that were older than the Doctor’s now.

At the Doctor’s approach Jack looked up, a warm smile spreading over his face at the sight of the Time Lord.

“Doctor. I had a feeling I’d be seeing you tonight.”

He pushed himself to his feet, moving easier without his greatcoat. It didn’t seem to be anywhere around and the Doctor assumed that Jack had temporarily discarded it in the heat. It felt odd to see him without it now. Throughout the centuries, Jack had kept to the classic styles, expressing delight when they had temporarily come back into mainstream fashion during the 41st century. The trend had passed by the 42nd, but Jack was adamant that they’d be fashionable again one day.

“Oh, did you now? I suppose you fancy yourself some kind of Doctor detector now then? I mean, 6000 years after all…maybe you’re evolving.” The Doctor said lightly. Jack scowled.

“Look, I said sorry for the Face of Boe crack. Can we just move on now, please?”

The Doctor shrugged, eyes twinkling.

“Fine. So where are we off to tonight, Captain? I don’t believe I’ve been to this corner of the world during this time period yet.”

“You’re not missing much. Athens fought hard to stay as retro as possible…it’s more like the 65th century, never mind the 79th. Although the cocktails at the Greek Goddess bar are to die for…well, I’m guessing about the dying part but they still taste excellent.” Jack grinned.

The Doctor sighed dramatically, casting mock-disappointed eyes at Jack.

“I don’t know…Athens, a city stuffed full of history and culture, and you want to go get hammered.”

“Not hammered. Buzzed.”

“Same difference where you’re concerned.”

Jack just grinned at him, walking over and offering his arm as if he were a gallant gentleman escorting some young lady. The Doctor raised an eyebrow but gave in anyway, linking his arm through Jack’s and allowing the other man to lead the way.

* * *

The cocktails lived up to Jack’s promises, yet the Doctor and Jack were nowhere near drunk when they finally left the bar. They’d actually spent most of the time talking instead, reminiscing about old times and swapping outrageous stories of their latest adventures. Jack had actually beaten him there, but the Doctor had decided that there really hadn’t been a hope of winning against a several thousand year old man. Especially not when it had been a week apart for him, and 64 years of change for Jack.

The pair were walking side by side when their hands brushed together, and the Doctor didn’t hesitate before slipping his hand firmly into Jack’s, feeling the immortal’s fingers closing firmly around his own.

The mood shifted, and the Doctor could practically see Jack scanning the area for the nearest hotel when he surprised even himself by speaking.

“Wait. Why don’t we just…walk like this for a while?" He murmured. Jack stared at him for a moment before grinning, squeezing the Doctor’s hand slightly as the tension dissipated and they started strolling again.

“If that’s what you want to do Doc, I certainly have no objections.”

The city was surprisingly quiet for a Friday night, and as they approached one of the various ancient Greek temples scattered around the Doctor felt a strange sense of peace in himself. Jack was scrambling up the small rise and the Doctor followed him right to the top, shivering slightly at the cool breeze he felt there despite the overall heat.

Strong arms wrapped themselves around him and he relaxed back into Jack’s embrace, staring up at the stars and listening to Jack breathing. For a moment, he could fool himself into believing that they were the only two in the whole of the universe. Yet the thought only filled him with a sense of calm, not fear.

Somewhere a car screeched in the distance, breaking the illusion. He felt Jack tense slightly at the noise, the Captain’s arms slipping from him as reality intruded. Turning round, the Doctor smiled wryly up at Jack, shrugging.

“It was nice whilst it lasted.”

“Yeah.”

They were silent for a few moments longer. Then the Doctor leaned up to press his lips against Jack’s, and the pattern resumed.

Except it didn’t.

* * *

When the Doctor stirred afterwards, he could hear Jack’s steady breathing and knew the other man was asleep. Carefully extricating himself from Jack’s arms he searched around for his clothes, muttering quietly to himself when he found that his tie had somehow managed to end up on top of the wardrobe. Slipping into his shoes he made his way over to the door…only to freeze as he realised that the rhythm of Jack’s breathing had changed.

Jack was awake.

A quick glance over his shoulder showed that Jack was still facing away from him, but Jack had to have noticed that the space in bed beside him was empty now. Had to have heard the Doctor’s quiet shifting around as he got dressed. For a moment the Doctor considered just leaving, pretending that he hadn’t noticed that Jack had woken up. But then he realised there was no way he could do that, and he sighed and leaned back against the door.

“Well? Aren’t you going to say something?” The Doctor asked softly. Jack moved, turning so that he was facing the Doctor. His eyes glittered in the darkness, and the Doctor had the uneasy feeling that Jack could see him just as clearly here as he could during the light of day.

“What am I supposed to say? It’s always been this way…it’s not like anything would ever change if I spoke up anyway.” Jack replied calmly. The Doctor winced, hearing the unspoken words between the lines.

“So you do want things to change.”

“Jack?”

“Doctor, you’re standing there wearing my lovebites on your neck. Clearly visible above your collar. Haven’t you noticed I’ve started marking you where people can see it now? And you still have to ask if I want things to change?”

“What do you want to happen?”

“I want to wake up one morning with you still in the goddamned bed. Not to a scrawled note. And certainly not money – I don’t appreciate feeling like a cheap whore.”

“That’s not…” The Doctor protested weakly, belatedly realising what that must have looked like. Jack sighed, running a hand through his hair and ruffling it up further.

“I know. I know you never meant it that way…that’s not your style. It just…hurts…sometimes, to wake up to the fact that someone you love always leaves before the night is over.”

“Love?”

“Yes Doctor, love. And don’t you dare pretend you didn’t know, because we both know you always have. You just choose to ignore it.”

The Doctor chewed his lip, swearing at himself. It was true…he’d always suspected Jack loved him, even if he didn’t know for sure. And now it was all out in the open and he couldn’t pretend anymore. Even though after tonight, after this conversation, he knew that things would never be the same again anyway. But still…

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” The Doctor didn’t understand. If this had been hurting Jack as much as he claimed, why had the ex-Time Agent carried on with it? Why had he kept sleeping with the Doctor when he knew he’d be gone by the morning?

Jack chuckled quietly, and when he spoke his voice was full of quiet acceptance.

“Because I know you – this is how you work. You can never have relationships with your companions because you know one day they’re going to die, leaving you alone again. But at the same time, you can’t have a relationship with me because you know I won’t die, and you can’t commit. Even if you do love me.”

The Doctor, who’d been reeling from Jack’s easy understanding of him, snapped upright at that last sentence.

“Excuse me?”

“You think I’m blind, Doctor? I’ve seen how you’ve been changing towards me throughout the years. You’d never have even started sleeping with me if you didn’t have some feelings for me. And as for tonight…what do you call that scene at the top of the hill? Because where I come from, we call that a ‘romantic moment’.”

Jack met his gaze unblinkingly, and the Doctor stared back, hearts hammering a mile a minute. Then, without saying anything, he turned and stormed out.

He tried to pretend he didn’t hear Jack’s small, quiet whisper.

“And that’s the last I’ll see of him. You fool, Harkness.”

* * *

After that, the Doctor went out of his way to avoid Jack. Whenever the TARDIS landed he double checked to make sure he’d actually arrived where he’d been aiming for, then triple checked to make sure Jack wasn’t anywhere about the area. A few times, the TARDIS had purposefully materialised in places Jack was likely to be, but the Doctor refused to relent and merely took off again.

One time, in 82nd century Budapest, he’d seen Jack in the monitor. 300 years had passed since he’d last laid eyes on the Captain, and he’d been shocked to see the pure misery in Jack’s face as the man stared at the TARDIS from the shadows of a nearby building. Jack hadn’t even tried to get closer; had just melted away into the darkness and left, as though he’d given up hope that he’d ever see the Doctor again.

It had left the Doctor with a horrible empty feeling and he’d almost gone running after Jack before he remembered their last conversation. So instead he’d just flicked a few switches and dematerialised, despite the TARDIS’ humming protests.

It was in 82nd century Tokyo that everything changed again.

The Doctor had intended to watch the 8120 Tokyo Olympics, but instead found himself running for his life as an army of Judoon somehow got it into their heads that he was the alien fugitive they were looking for. By all rights they shouldn’t have even been on Earth as it wasn’t under their jurisdiction, but this particular group seemed particularly tenacious.

The Doctor had ended up in a dead end alley and was searching desperately for another way out when there was a sudden volley of shots fired behind him, Wheeling round, the Doctor gaped at the sight of a man on a motorcycle, his face obscured by a helmet, firing upon the Judoon whilst managing to dodge the returned shots at the same time.

Whatever weapon the man was using, it was obviously strong enough to get through the thick Judoon armour, as one by one the Judoon keeled over, snorting with pain. The last Judoon fired another shot and the man ducked down low, the wall behind him burnt black. Twisting up, he shot the Judoon in the chest only to yelp as the alien crashed down against the motorbike, knocking it over and trapping the man beneath the collective weight of the bike and the Judoon.

Hurrying over, the Doctor quickly set to work freeing his mystery rescuer, not liking the groans of pain coming from inside the helmet.

“Hang on there, I’ll have you out in a jiffy. I’m going to have to just try pulling you out – grit your teeth, it’s going to hurt. A lot.”

Gripping the stranger underneath his arms, the Doctor pulled, feeling the man beginning to slip from underneath the fallen motorcycle. The man cried out as he was suddenly pulled free, and the Doctor carefully laid him down against the alley wall, wincing in sympathy as he saw the mangled mess of the stranger’s legs.

“Ouch. That’ll take a while to heal…where’s the nearest hospital round here?” The Doctor asked. A low chuckle came from within the helmet and the Doctor blinked in confusion.

“You don’t need to worry about me, Doctor. I’ll heal soon enough – I’m not exactly normal am I?” The stranger reached up with his right hand to pull off his helmet, revealing none other than the very man the Doctor had been avoiding so long.

“Jack!” He gasped, suddenly realising why a ‘stranger’ had just risked his life to save someone he’d supposedly never even met before.

“Got it in one. Couldn’t exactly leave you to be executed, even if you have been an idiot lately.” Jack grinned weakly. His breathing was laboured and the Doctor wondered exactly how much pain Jack was actually in.

“Come on, we’ve got to get you to a hospital.” He tried, but Jack just waved him off.

“I’m fine. Give me an hour or two, and these will just be flesh wounds. If I go hospital then I’ll just have to answer some pretty awkward questions.” He said firmly. The Doctor hesitated, before wrapping an arm around Jack and pulling him up, supporting practically all of his weight so that no pressure was put on Jack’s legs.

“Then you’re coming back to the TARDIS until you’re good to go again.” Part of the Doctor was yelling at him, demanding to know what he thought he was doing. But the larger part was nodding in approval, and he knew exactly which side the TARDIS would take. He’d done some truly awful things to Jack during the time they’d known each other, and this wasn’t going be another of his mistakes.

He could feel the tension in Jack at the suggestion, but the immortal didn’t protest. He just let the Doctor half drag, half carry him back through the Tokyo streets to where the TARDIS was parked.

The expression on Jack’s face as they entered somehow managed to make the Doctor feel even guiltier than before; it was an intense mixture of joy and wistfulness, and the Doctor regretted not letting Jack come back onboard sooner.

Settling Jack on the small sofa in the console room the Doctor dashed about, hitting buttons seemingly at random. Jack blinked.

“Are we leaving?”

“We’re just moving a few days into the future – those Judoon will be coming round soon and they’ll be mad. Especially if they think their alien has just got away from them.”

Jack didn’t reply, and when the Doctor looked round he was surprised to see the other man looking vaguely embarrassed.

“I don’t suppose you know whether they were looking for an Altraxian, do you?” Jack asked quietly. The Doctor raised any eyebrow.

“Might have been. Why?”

“Met one a few days ago. Seemed like a nice guy, really. Helped him repair his ship, though he never explained where it had got those awful burn marks on the outside…”

Shaking his head, the Doctor chuckled as he landed the TARDIS.

“I don’t know…more gullible now after 6000 years than you were when I first met you.” He snickered, pretending not to notice Jack’s indignant expression.

“Hey! Young people should learn to respect their elders, thank you very much!” Jack retorted, flashing the Doctor a grin when the Time Lord rolled his eyes good naturedly at the comment.

“And why should I? You never showed me any respect when I was the older one.” The Doctor objected. Jack shrugged, reclining back against the sofa and stretching like a cat.

“No respect? I called you ‘sir’ sometimes, remember? Not to mention deferring to you when planning battle strategies – now that one stung.”

“I remember. Going after Blon in Cardiff that time…” The Doctor murmured wistfully, remembering when things hadn’t seemed quite so complicated. A sneaked glance at Jack’s face showed him that Jack was thinking the same thing – the other man looked rather nostalgic sitting there.

Sighing, the Doctor abandoned the console and moved to sit next to Jack, taking the immortal by surprise as he took Jack’s hand in his.

“You were right, you know. I do love you. But I’ve never had anything like this before…I’ve never had something I knew wasn’t going to go away after a few years. And I don’t think I’m ready to commit to anything…at least not for now.”

Jack regarded him silently for a moment, before surprising the Doctor as he broke out into a wide smile and offered the Doctor his hand.

“Then how about this…we carry on as we have before. But you’ll try and visit me more often, and you’ll actually stay the night when you do come. Then when you find it in yourself to commit, I come back on board the TARDIS. Deal?”

The Doctor hesitated, but one look at Jack’s twinkling eyes made all his doubts melt away, and he found himself shaking Jack’s hand firmly.

“Deal. With one addition.” He agreed. At Jack’s confused frown, he leaned forward and tapped the other man on the nose. “You get your Vortex Manipulator back to full working order.”

Jack stilled, eyes widening at the offer.

“You mean…” He breathed. The Doctor nodded, suddenly serious.

“It came to me earlier…unless you find some way of travelling back in time at one point, you’re not only going to live until the year 100 trillion, you’ll live past it, in a time where everything else is dead and gone. And I won’t have you live that life, Jack.”

To his confusion, Jack fished a piece of paper out of his pocket and held it up for the Doctor to examine. The Time Lord blinked, staring down at what was clearly a list of dates and place names.

“Jack Harkness, you didn’t…” He muttered in disbelief. Jack grinned jauntily back.

“If you mean did I make a list of where I was when, then yes I did. Hoped I may get to use it some day…this way I don’t run the risk of meeting myself.”

Shaking his head, the Doctor sighed, resigning himself to a lot more of this cocky attitude in the future.

“You knew I’d relent one day, didn’t you?”

“Yup.”

“Like I said, you’re an impossible thing, Jack.”

“But I’m your impossible thing.”

“Oh for…”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr under [rubychan05](http://rubychan05.tumblr.com/).


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